For whatever reason, there are many individuals in the world who feel a need to try and tear down other people’s sense of self-worth. Living with a chronic illness, the challenge of maintaining self-worth can at times be difficult. Combating the negative voices you hear in the world, and within your own mind, is a critical part to staying mentally healthy.
Preserving feelings of self-worth can be difficult for any one at any age, but it can be especially tough when you’re in high school. Though there are plenty of mean people in the world, I choose to believe most people are nice. Sadly, for reasons you may never understand, some people will try to make you feel bad about yourself for being sick. Others will try to make you feel like you’re lazy, believing you exaggerate your pain to get out of work or to get attention. Choose to not allow those kinds of people damage your self-esteem.
Have confidence in the truth—you know you aren’t exaggerating your very real pain. Take reassurance in the knowledge that you know the limits of your body and the naysayers who think you’re lazy don’t have a clue. However, if you are exaggerating your pain, don’t get mad when people call you on it.
If a person thinks you’re lazy, you can try to politely educate them and hopefully they will be open to that information. If they aren’t, if they simply don’t get it or don’t want to get it, the only thing you can do is let it be. Make the choice to not be offended. Not everybody is capable of comprehending what Sickle Cell patients endure and what your life is like. Realize you can’t always change what people think about you. You can only change the way you think about them.
Above all, remember you have value. Though Sickle Cell may restrict your life in some ways, you can draw courage in knowing you have other strengths that more than make up for it. You’re not less of a person because you are sick. If anything, your experiences can provide you with a perspective in life that’s quite unique.
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